East Washington police warn of burglar

East Washington police are stepping up patrols after one home was entered and an attempt was made to enter a second while the residents were sleeping.
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East Washington police are warning residents after one home was entered and an attempt apparently was made to enter a second while the residents were sleeping.

Acting police Chief Mark Griffith was called about 8 a.m. Wednesday to the home of an elderly couple on Council Street who awakened to find a broken kitchen window and the kitchen door open. On Tuesday morning, police were called to Christman Avenue after a resident awoke to find the kitchen window had been forced open, but no entry was made to that residence.

Griffith said in the Council Street incident, the screen was cut and the window was broken. Some of the items on the window sill were moved around, but nothing was stolen from the home.

“The husband told me that when he went to bed about 11 p.m., he checked the kitchen door to make sure it was locked,” Griffith said. “His wife stayed up in a computer room until about 2:30 a.m.

“At some point during the night, she thought the house felt chilly, so she got up, checked the thermostat and went back to bed,” the chief added. “The burglar may have been in the house then. That might have scared him, and he left without taking anything.”

Griffith urged residents to call 911 immediately if they see or hear anything suspicious near their homes.

“My concern is the burglar entered homes when people were sleeping,” Griffith said Wednesday. “What if the resident this morning walked in on the burglar? I am concerned that someone is going to get hurt.”

Griffith urged residents to keep outside lights on at their homes and make sure doors and windows are locked. Police also will be stepping up patrols.